November 17, 2005

Home Economics Programs Evolve Past 'Mrs.' degree
Being a Family and Consumer Scientist previously known as a Home Economist I was attracted to the Associated Press article that was picked up by the St. Petersburg Times (Florida) newspaper. It just proves my position that Home Economics is a vital and important career path one that should never have been eliminated from many Universities during the 1990's. I hope you enjoy reading the article.

24A TIMES * SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2005 * ** *

THE NATION

Home economics programs evolve past `Mrs.' degree

Associated Press

ATHENS, Ga. - University of Georgia student Brandon Esco has faced his share of razzing for being a nutrition science major - a field traditionally dominated by women. "You're only in that major because of the girls" is the most common teasing he's heard.
But at the school's College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Esco is part of a growing trend. Five years ago, about 10 percent of the college's students were men. Last year, a third of the 1,700 students - and 40 percent of the tenure-track faculty - were men.

Those changes - shared by other schools nationwide – are helping to undermine the stereo-types long acquainted with home economic programs, often sneeringly chided as a "Mrs." degree. Experts say even the moniker "home ec" itself is outdated: Many
schools have changed program titles to terms such as "human sciences" to reflect a broader nature.

"Our students graduate to become lawyers, loan counselors, directors of day care, dietitians," said Sharon Nickols, dean of UGA's College of Family and Consumer Sciences. `We just don't know their major because they don't say, `I'm a family and consumer scientist.'

The cookie-baking classes and pop quizzes on laundry essentials that once dominated some home ec courses in junior high have broadened into courses geared toward "life skills," including tips for budgeting, and basic knowledge of supply and demand.

Those changes have drawn more male students, said Don Bower, president of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, once called the American Home Economics Association.

"Today's the golden age of home ec," said Dennis Savaiano, the dean of Purdue University's College of Consumer and Family Sciences. `We're directing all the same issues - family, food and finance - in a much broader, societal way. These are issues that transcend the home and reflect society in every way." In the 1950s, Americans recovering from World War II re-emphasized the value of working in the home for women. By the 1970s, programs began to branch out more into niche topics, as child development, marriage counseling and family therapy became separate programs.

Within the past decade, that pace has quickened. It's not uncommon to find schools offering specialized degrees that focus on property management or courses that tackle nutrition and fitness through a neuroscience lens.

Those increasingly specialized programs have helped draw more women and men.

Florida State University's College of Human Sciences, for instance, has taken an athletic training program under its umbrella. Dean Penny Ralston said that's helped the school almost triple in size in seven years and attractmore males.

But there's still the question of how to broaden the appeal of female-friendly programs to males.

"Men need nutrition, counseling and health classes just as much as women," said University of Georgia professor Mary Ann Johnson.

Esco said he was lured to the University of Georgia by the promise of a good pre-dentistry program. But the Royston, Ga., native ended up choosing a nutrition science major instead of a more traditional biology or chemistry track. "They look at nutrition and how it affects your whole body in a holistic way, then break it down to a cellular level," he said of his professors. "And it's so much more - they teach you how to be humble, how to be a leader."

August 11, 2005 First Blog

Blogging is new to me so I will be feeling my way. I thought people might like to look at one of my creations. This one was in conjunction with interior designer Jay Jenkins. Photography by Allen Gilbert